More than 450 Moldovan artists, authors and singers call on President Igor Dodon and Prime Minister Ion Chicu to name a new director at the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI). The signatories request to immediately organize a meeting with the Premier so that they could present a number of details of the risks faced by artists and the solutions they propose for appointing a professional with experience as AGEPI director.
In a news conference at IPN, president of the National Association “Copyright”, composer Liviu Știrbu said the activity of collective management organizations during many years was chaotic and far from safeguarding the interests of national artists, authors and singers. Most of the organizations collected remuneration without making the relevant payments to copyright owners. Only during the past five months after Lilia Bolocan left the post of AGEPI director, a systemic, balanced and fair approach to the national artists, authors and singers started ultimately to be adopted, with these being heard by the current administration of AGEPI, which showed that the national artists are a priority for the institution.
“On the other hand, we learned from the press about the Government’s intention to name lawyer Marin Domente, who is considered a discredited person who damaged the interests of the national artists and Moldova’s image abroad by his actions, as AGEPI director general. Marin Domente is the lawyer of the National Association for the Protection of Intellectual Creation, which does not represent us and which collected over 4.5 million lei in remuneration, but didn’t make the necessary payments to copyright owners, causing thus damage to the artists and the state budget. The Prosecutor General’s Office was notified of this. Should we expect that this Marin Domente will represent this association and will again encroach upon the rights of the national artists, authors and singers?” said Liviu Știrbu.
The president of “Copyright” noted that lawyer Marin Domente was involved in a case that infringed the intellectual property rights of such famous companies as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss and Trussardi, representing in court a business entity based near the Central Market. According to the artists, this way Moldova’s image at foreign level was affected. This case also generated a governmental scandal and was classed as exceptional and unordinary.
“We do not want other experiments to be performed on the artists, authors and singers of the Republic of Moldova,” says the call.
